Bosphorus Strait and Black Sea Day Cruise from Istanbul
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Bosphorus Strait and Black Sea Day Cruise from Istanbul
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Bosphorus Strait and Black Sea Day Cruise from Istanbul

1 day
Instant confirmation
About this activity
Start your day with a hotel pickup, and travel to Kabataş port to board your sightseeing boat. Take a seat out on deck, help yourself to snacks, and gaze out at the sights as you cruise along the shores of the Bosphorus Strait, the waterway that splits Istanbul onto the European and Asian continents.

Your first stop is Ortaköy, a charming Istanbul neighborhood on the city’s European banks. Enjoy some free time to stretch your legs and explore the narrow and enchanting streets. Once the area was favored as a summer retreat for vacationing sultans; today, Ortaköy’s market stalls, shops and galleries entice both locals and visitors alike.

Hop back on board and cruise to Istanbul’s Asian side for a visit to Küçüksu Palace, a 19th-century stunner that was built in Baroque style. The pint-sized palace is one of the city’s hidden gems — small enough to escape the crowds but opulent enough to enchant those who stumble upon it. Take in the gild, gold and glamor of the interior that was created for a sultan, and learn about the palace’s history from your guide.

Cruise back over the water and dock outside Rumeli Hisarı Fortress, the imposing structure that marks the narrowest point of the Bosphorus Strait. After a visit with your guide, hearing of the sultans who spent their vacations there, return to your boat for an onboard lunch in the sun. Savor grilled chicken alongside an assortment of Turkish meze, sip on soda, and then continue your cruise.

Pass out of the Bosphorus Strait and into waters of the Black Sea for your final stop at the seaside village of Poyrazköy. Use your free time to swim in the sea or walk through the hills that fringe the village. Be sure to bring your bathing suit, sunscreen and walking shoes or sneakers! If the weather is not warm enough for swimming on the day, dock at Anadolu Kavağı instead, and explore the medieval castle ruins with your guide.

In the late afternoon, return to Kabataş port and finish with a hotel drop-off.

Please note: Küçüksu Palace is closed on Mondays and Thursdays, and Rumeli Hisarı Fortress is closed on Wednesdays. On these days, the attractions will be replaced with a visit to Kiz Kulesi (also known as Maiden’s Tower or Leander’s Tower), a monument that featured in the James Bond film The World is Not Enough.
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Included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Lunch
  • Beverages
  • Snacks
  • Entry/Admission - Rumeli Fortress
  • Entry/Admission - Ortakoy
  • Entry/Admission - Anadolu Kavagi
  • Entry/Admission - Kucuksu Pavilion
Not included
  • Gratuities
  • Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
Additional
  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Swimsuit and towel are recommended
  • This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
Features
Tourism
90%
Cultural
40%
Original
20%
Aquatic
20%
Reviews
4.4
72
m
markpryan
5 | 2019-09-30

They picked us up at our old Town hotel and we started our full day cruise. It was actually two half days with additional guests onboard for lunch and cruise to Black Sea. The morning cruise was great we stopped at Maidens island, a mosque and a hunting lodge of the Ottomans. I forgot the name of our guide but he was incredibility knowledgeable of history, geographic and plate tectonics. A real treat. The big surprise for me was lunch. We did not expect a good lunch but it was in fact very good! Well worth the time!

D
Duc Nguyen
4 | 2019-09-23

Good tour to visit Bosphorus Strait and Black Sea. Nice staff and tour guide. Good food and drink dring the tour.

J
JENNIFER S
2 | 2019-09-18

I think that likely the quality of the tour is guide-dependent. I found ours distracted and eager to send us off on our own at stops, or to his favourite shop owners. Another tour joined us in the afternoon and the explanations along the river were identical to what we had heard in the morning. At the end of the tour we were to be transported back to our hotels and our guide just disappeared leaving the task to one of young colleagues.

V
Victor F
4 | 2019-07-30

Compared to other tour agencies we experienced in Istanbul, this one was by far the best. Not only was the tour guide very nice and well prepared (Aslan), the tour's program was very well conceived, allowing us to profit the most of every visit and also to relax on the boat and even swim in the Bosphorus. The food was also quite good and well nourishing and we had the possibility to buy beers and wine. The only negative point was the return trip to our hotel: even though it was the closest to the gathering point in Beksitas (our hotel was in Taksim), for some reason they passed by it without noticing, to a point that we would have to wait for everybody else to be dropped (mostly people in Sultanahmet) and then get back to Taksim to drop us last, what would have taken more than 1 hours with Istanbul's horrible traffic. Because of that, we decided to be dropped half way and we walked back to our hotel, which was not an extremely long walk but since my fiancé really had to go to the bathroom, it wasn't the most pleasant one... Anyways, that was just a minor inconvenience. Other than that, everything was perfect!

s
skhurmi1
5 | 2019-07-29

The day promises to be a long one. We departed our hotel at 0900 and returned at 1830 (hotel pickup and drop off by tour shuttle). Our tour guide, Aslan, was absolutely amazing. He shares his knowledge of Turkish culture and history with great enthusiasm. We made four stops (2 Asian and 2 European). At each of the stops you get some free time (30-45min) to self-explore a little after the guide has given you an orientation to the site. We also Had about 45 minutes to swim at the mouth of the Bosphorus Straits right at the Black Sea inlet. This is an absolute highlight, especially on a warm/hot Summer day. Food and snacks throughout the day. Overall, well worth the cost...and while the whole day was spent with this activity, it went by rather quickly.

c
chana T
5 | 2019-07-08

Great trip on the Bosphorous . Highly recommend the full day trip for the beautiful visits to a mosque, castle and fortress, also fantastic swim in Black Sea and nice lunch.

A
Andreas T O
5 | 2019-07-03

Everything went like clockwork on this tour, from the hotel pickup to the drop off. The boat trip was excellent and interesting and the guide was knowledgeable and fun. Highly recommended.

J
JACOB G
4 | 2019-07-03

The cruise was well organized and we had a wonderful time on the Bosphorus. The guide and rest of the crew were very pleasant and took care of all the tourists. The guide was knowledgeable and knew the history of Turkey, which made the tour more enjoyable. Overall a very good tour.

C
Claudia J
4 | 2019-07-03

one of the palaces we were suppose to see was closed due to an public holiday- this should be checked before the cruise in advertised. It was subsitued with the Maiden Tower. We were suppose to be able to swimming in the Bosphurus Strait while the boat anchored. The chain on the anchor was broken and we could not do that activity. The guide offered the people who really wanted to swim -joining the next day half cruise. The service on the boat was okay not super the drinking water was not cold, but the chicken kebab was. The guide itself was super nice andf knowlegable.The stops were okay with the exception of the fishing village stop, all it was, was a row of restaurants and some souvenire stores.

F
Fabian C
5 | 2017-04-10

Wonderful, beyond our expectation.... we have wonderful memories of the day.

C
Cristian E. E
5 | 2017-01-02

Excellent!

D
David Z
5 | 2016-07-01

A great way to relax and see some interesting sights outside the city. Our guide and the crew were excellent. Food and snacks were good and served throughout the tour. Hoping things get better for our friends in Turkey.

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